One of the colleges at The University of Memphis will soon be under new leadership. Dr. Ric Hovda, an expert on recruiting, educating and retaining teachers, has been selected dean of the College of Education at The U of M.
“The search for the position started about eight months ago,” said provost Ralph Faudree. “A search committee of faculty members and people in the community were involved and it’s been an ongoing process.”
Hovda, who will earn $138,000 as dean, holds a doctorate in teacher education, language arts and children’s literature from Ohio State University. He also earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in education from the University of North Dakota.
Formerly of the University of Missouri at St. Louis, Hovda will begin his new position on July 1. As the dean of the college, he will provide leadership and assistance to the college’s faculty and students.
“We are very pleased and excited about him coming,” Faudree said. “I think he’ll provide great leadership.”
Hovda is currently the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Urban Education, a joint appointment with the University of Missouri and the St. Louis Public School System, and is an assistant to the superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools. He has also served as director of the Center for the Collaborative Advancement of the Teaching Profession and as professor of the Department of Early and Middle Childhood Education at the University of Louisville.
“He has a distinguished career in academics,” Faudree said. “The qualifications he brings are many.”
Hovda will act as a liaison between the Memphis City School system and The U of M. The purpose of this is to increase communication between the two.
“If the school system feels that administrators or teachers need additional training in some areas, then we’ll get that information and try to take that into account when we build the curriculum,” Faudree said.
The same concept applies to Memphis City School students.
“Likewise, if we see the students coming out of their system not being properly prepared in some areas, then we’ll provide that (information) to the school system and say, ‘Here is something that you need to address,’” Faudree said.
Hovda has talked to the superintendents of both county and city school systems and plans to work closely with each.
“He will provide extra leadership and make what we’re doing more effective, which is the training of teachers, administrators and counselors,” Faudree said, about the impact Hovda will have on The U of M.
